LVCI Entering Year 3 as C4K Community

The Loup Valley Childhood Initiative (LVCI) is entering Year 3 as a participant in the Nebraska Children & Families Foundation's Communities for Kids (C4K) program, an early childhood initiative that providers technical expertise, supports and solutions that fits each participating community's needs for early childhood care.

Through the first two years as a C4K community, LVCI has provided various forms of outreach and support to current child care providers, including monetary grants to help improve capacity and quality of their child care business and continuing education opportunities for each childhood educators.

LVCI has also engaged in various community events including National Night Out (hosted by the Ord Area Chamber of Commerce and Ord Police Department), the Valley County Kids Fair (hosted by the Valley County Health System Child Development Committee) and the first-ever Gardening in the Valley event (hosted by Central Community College Ord Learning Center).

Assessing the need for early childhood care with community surveys, outreach to prospective and current providers and industry analysis has been an ongoing LVCI effort as well. Based on data gathered throughout the past few years, a separate LVCI non-profit organization has been formed to specifically address the gap in child care spots in Valley County.

Get a full summary of LVCI activity below: